Southwest Colorado Concerts will host a Christmas concert featuring pianist Charlie Albright on Tuesday, Dec. 5 to ring in the Christmas season through holiday favorites and other musical performances.
The performance will take place at the Montezuma-Cortez High School auditorium starting at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are $25, and season tickets that will cover Albright’s and the other two season concerts are available for $60.
Because of a “generous donation” from the Kiwanis Club of Mesa Verde, tickets for youths and students will be free.
Tickets are available on the Southwest Colorado Concert’s website, swcoloradoconcerts.org, at the venue the evening of the concert or by mail at P.O. Box 941 in Cortez.
According to board treasurer Christine Stramel, who has been part of the board for nearly 10 years, Albright performed in Montezuma County 10 years ago, and she told The Journal that they have been receiving requests that he come back ever since.
“When I first joined the board, this performer was one of the first concerts I saw as a board member, and he was great. People for years have been saying, ‘Why aren’t you bringing him back?’ because he was so good. He’s just an incredible piano player and has such wonderful music,” Stramel said.
A news release announced Albright’s return.
“Help Southwest Colorado Concerts give him a warm welcome back to Cortez and the MCHS Ralph Vavak Auditorium,” the group added.
Stramel said Albright’s will be another performance that brings a culture of music to the Cortez area.
“It’s just been a wonderful experience to have all these wonderful performers come from out of town and bring us all such quality right here in Cortez. To have it right here in our community is such a wonderful thing,” Stramel said.
The group provided biographical information on Albright leading up to the concert, sharing that he began piano lessons when he was only 3 years old in his birthplace of Centralia, Washington.
After earning his associate degree at Centralia College while in high school, Albright went on to become the first classical pianist in the Harvard College/New England Conservatory‘s five-year AB/MM Joint Program, completing a bachelor’s degree as an economics major and premed student at Harvard, and a master’s in music in piano performance at New England Conservatory.
He also graduated with the prestigious artist diploma from The Juilliard School.
“He is considered among the most gifted musicians of his generation with jaw-dropping technique and distinct musicality. He brings performances to a new level by uniquely connecting with audiences like no other through his music, speaking, unique improvisations, and just making concerts fun,” the news release from Southwest Colorado Concerts said.
After Albright’s concert, two other concerts will complete the Southwest Colorado Concert season. First, Yu & I will perform on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and J. Robert Spencer will present his program “7,000 Miles to Broadway” on Wednesday, May 8.
Additional information is at swcoloradoconcerts.org.
Since 1954, Southwest Colorado Concerts has brought world-class musical productions to Montezuma County with musical genres that have included classical, jazz, popular, folk and country. They have around four or five concerts in the Four Corners area each year, including at least one local group or soloist.
